WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – A mother and her boyfriend are in police custody after a 13-month-old boy was killed and his twin brother was severely injured.
One of the boys, Zyaire Reed, died from his injuries at a children’s hospital. His brother, Zion Reed, has been admitted to a children’s hospital to address multiple injuries.
Officials say Zion appeared to have multiple untreated injuries upon initial examination at the scene, including a swollen cheek, ears and a cut lip. After medical examination Zion was said to have a broken femur, two broken clavicles and more bruises and wounds consistent with long-term abuse, officials said.
Lisa Marie Reed was charged Thursday with first-degree child abuse in connection with her son Zion. Charges are still pending against her regarding the death of her other son Zyaire, officials said.
Police and prosecutors are going to continue to work the case and are expecting first-degree murder charges.
Reed stayed mostly quiet when she was arraigned from the Ecorse Jail. The boys’ grandmother Sue Williams-Bawol believes her daughter was, and still is, being manipulated by her live-in boyfriend who is in jail.
The boyfriend has not yet been charged. The Department of Corrections said that he was paroled and since his release in May, he has taken four drug tests and failed one of them for cocaine. He was referred for treatment.
Initially, police believed that the boyfriend was paroled for child abuse. He did serve a year in jail after a child abuse conviction, but he was in and out of prison since 2007 because of a carjacking conviction.
READ: Ecorse mother, boyfriend in custody after 1-year-old killed, sibling hospitalized